The paper-based laboratory notebook remains one of the last bastions of manual information in the scientific world. Until recently, its unique characteristics - light-weight, portable, and durable, with free-form and flexible, yet indelible data entry - could not be provided by any information technology. The emergence of pen-based computing technology offers an opportunity to replicate the highly usable features of paper- based notebooks with equivalent electronic ones, and bring added benefits to electronic information to the scientist and scientific organization. This research seeks to establish the feasibility of creating a pen-based Electronic Laboratory Notebook (ELN) system, directed at the specific needs of pharmaceutical and related health-science research. The Phase I research performs a functional, cognitive, and organizational end-user analysis, to define an ELN user interface with a package of functionality that is highly tailored to pharmaceutical chemistry. The research also defines a system-level interface between the ELN and its host organization and regulatory community. After determining whether the current or near term pen-based computing technology can, with appropriate software, support the unique functional demands of the ELN, a complete architecture and Phase II development plan for a full-scale ELN prototype is created. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The proposed research will lead to development of an electronic laboratory notebook, hosted on a pen-based computer. This product would be usable by virtually every bench scientist in the pharmaceutical-related chemical field, a marketplace which is estimated at more than $250M.